This Column Has a Future

Paris 2000 and 2000 In France

Paris:- Saturday, 18. December 1999:-
Another one of my brilliant innovations has run up against
a wall, which means I've run out of time.

This column was split off from the Christmas 1999 items
because they will die next week, except for possible last
minute New Years Eve events. This '2000' column will
continue.

Without warning, the city put its program magazine for
residents 'on the
stands' in all 21 of Paris' city halls last Wednesday,
right on schedule. Oh surprise! It also contains additional
details about 'Paris 2000' as well as some completely new
items.

View of the Champs-Elysées from the top
of Paris 'big' wheel.

So, today's column for 'Paris 2000' is largely a repeat
of last week's. Even though I intend to do next to nothing
in the coming week, there may be some of these new items
here in the next issue.

Navigation Note:-If you pop back and forth
within the three 'Scene' pages, your browser's 'back' or
'return' button will not return you to the issue's
'contents' page. Use 'This Issue'
in Metropole's navigation line at the top and bottom of
these pages.

'Aux Portes de l'An 2000' - in Paris this event
will take place on the Champs-Elysées, starting at
00:00 on Saturday, 1. January and will feature 20 real or
imaginary ferris wheels with actors, musicians, circus
performers - putting on some sort of dazzling show.

New Year's Day - Saturday, 1. January 2000:- 'The
Great Parade of Paris.' Enjoyed by Montmartre for the past
six years, this edition will parade through all Paris -
with all of the world's marching bands invited. Starting at
the Porte Saint-Denis at 14:00, the parade follows the
'Grands Boulevards' to the Place de la Madeleine.

On paper, many of the planned events, exhibitions and
activities seem to be modest or low-key. An example was
last summer's eclipse, which had a large popular turnout
for its brief duration.

Other events, which have been on the annual calendar for
years, will get a 'Paris 2000' logo this year; plus an
extra effort will be put into their staging - so everything
that happens in Paris will have at least a bit of extra
oomph to it.

Paris is officially characterizing its participation as
the 'choix du cúur' rather than 'mega-francs' and
has modestly named it 'Paris
2000.' This will be a 16-month 'Fête de
Millennium.'

Paris is in France of course, so there is also a
'2000 In France'
national program of events and celebrations too. See 'tree
planting' below.

The 'Méridienne Verte' Begins - On 25.
November the 'green meridian' tree planting began. I think
this idea to plant 3000 trees along a north-south line all
the through France, and then have a picnic on it on
Bastille Day, 14. July, is a great one.

This simple idea is magical - because it is simple. We
will dance through the
night of the eve of Bastille Day, and then we will sit down
to a festive picnic to wind down. The 'Méridienne
Verte' stretches from Dunkerque to Barcelona. This last
city, is not in France, but is in Catalonia. Somehow it is
included in '2000 In France.'

The meridian passes through 48 cities, towns and
villages in the Ile-de-France. Six Paris arrondissements
are on the line, but tree plantings will only be in three
of them - the 6th, 14th and 18th - on account of pavement
in the others.

The tree plantings will continue until 21. March 2000,
which should mean that their leaves will be green for the
picnic to be held on the line on Bastille Day, 14.
July.

The Balloon Goes Up - Pilâtre de Rozier
made the world's - and man's - first balloon flight in
Paris on Friday, 21. November 1783 in a balloon invented by
the Montgolfier brothers. In the summer of 1878, a captive
balloon was installed in the Tuileries and 35,000
passengers tried it out.

The world's largest tethered balloon, at the Parc
André Citroën, took its first flight on
Thursday, 1. July at 18:00, and now offers rides to the
public. It can take 30 passengers up to its operating
ceiling of 150 metres - but only weather permitting. Info.
Tel.: 01 44 26 20 00.

Paris' Big Wheel - in the Place de la Concorde is
now in operation. For an eight-minute ride, going up 60
metres, the fare for adults is 30 francs. See this week's
'Café' column for first impressions.

The World Wheel - La Roue Monde - you have been
invited to send an email message to the virtual 'World Wheel' about your
thoughts for the future. My thought for right now is to
mention that the Web site has a huge 'welcome' page, so be
prepared to wait a bit for it to load.

The artist, Jean-Luc Vilmouth, is collecting the
messages and these will be placed on 20 real ferris wheels
installed along the Champs-Elysées - along with 24
other works of art - for display on New Years Eve, Friday,
31. December.

The Giant Sundial at the Place de la Concorde is
in place, but it is so big that it can only be seen from
Paris' 'Giant Wheel' when it is operation, after Wednesday,
. December.